Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.

A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

The present technology provides liquid quality assessment systems and methods for their preparation and use. The systems can include a light source configured to illuminate a liquid sample, a reflecting surface configured to reflect light scattered by the liquid sample, and a detector configured to detect light intensity, wherein the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a first incident light when the reflecting surface is absent; the detector detects a first light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the first incident light; the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a second incident light when the reflecting surface is present; and the detector detects a second light which is a combination of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light and light reflected by the reflecting surface of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light.

The invention relates to a terahertz full polarization state detection spectrometer, which comprises a terahertz wave generator, a polarizer, a polarization splitter, a horizontal terahertz detector and a vertical terahertz detector. The terahertz wave generator generates a terahertz wave and the polarizer optimizes the terahertz wave for purity. The sample to be detected modulates the terahertz wave after purity optimization to obtain the terahertz modulated wave. The terahertz modulated wave is decomposed by the polarization splitter into a horizontal terahertz wave and a vertical terahertz wave whose polarization states are perpendicular to each other. The two terahertz waves are detected by two corresponding terahertz detectors respectively. According to the detected result, the characteristic of the sample is analyzed. The terahertz full polarization state detection spectrometer can quickly and accurately detect all kinds of full polarization state terahertz waves and improve the detection accuracy and efficiency of the sample.

Provided is an ellipsometer including a polarizing optical device configured to separate light, reflected from a sample that is irradiated with illumination light comprising a linearly polarized light, into a first linearly polarized light in a first polarization direction and a second linearly polarized light in a second polarization direction that is orthogonal to the first polarization direction, and a light-receiving optical system configured to calculate an Ψ and Δ, an amplitude ratio and a phase difference of the two polarized light respectively, from an interference fringe formed by interference between the first linearly polarized light and the second linearly polarized light after passing through an analyzing device with transmission axis different from the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction.

Disclosed is apparatus for inspecting a sample. The apparatus includes illumination optics for simultaneously directing a plurality of incident beams at a plurality of azimuth angles towards a sample and collection optics for directing a plurality of field portions of output light from two or more of the plurality of angles towards two or more corresponding sensors. The two or more sensors are arranged for receiving the field portions corresponding to two or more angles and generating two or more corresponding images. The apparatus further comprises a processor for analyzing the two or more images to detect defects on the sample.

A characteristic information extraction method of a small-molecule volatile substance, including: dividing a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrum of the small-molecule volatile substance to obtain n wavelength subintervals, where n is a positive integer; sampling the n wavelength subintervals through weighted bootstrap sampling (WBS) to obtain Wwavelength subintervals, where W is a positive integer less than n; and screening the W wavelength subintervals to obtain desired wavelength subintervals. This application also provides a rapid detection method and a portable detection system of a small-molecule volatile substance.

Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having an excellent reflection anisotropy, a low haze, and a high circular polarization degree of reflected light, and a method for producing the same. In addition, provided are a laminate, an optically anisotropic body, and a reflective film, each of which including the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer formed using a liquid crystal compound, in which, in at least one main plane out of a pair of main planes of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, a direction of a molecular axis of the liquid crystal compound changes while continually rotating along at least one in-plane direction, the molecular axis of the liquid crystal compound is tilted with respect to the main plane of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and an arrangement direction of bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, as observed under a scanning electron microscope in a cross section perpendicular to the main plane, is tilted with respect to the main plane of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.

A bio-chip is provided. The bio-chip includes a first substrate, a polarizing array, and a plurality of reaction sites. The polarizing array is disposed on the first substrate, and includes first sub-polarizing units having a first polarizing angle and second sub-polarizing units having a second polarizing angle. The first polarizing angle is different from the second polarizing angle. The reaction sites are disposed on the polarizing array. Each of the reaction sites corresponds to one of the first sub-polarizing units or one of the second sub-polarizing units.